Cuomo Won’t Endorse Hillary 2016: “It’s a Long Way Away”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo stayed clear today of an endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president in 2016, saying, “It’s a long way away.”

It was the first time Cuomo has been asked publicly about a potential run for the former New York senator, and it comes as Cuomo himself is viewed as a potential 2016 presidential candidate.

“There’s a long way away. We just elected a president. They want to talk about the next election,” Cuomo said when asked on Fred Dicker’s radio show. “There is doubt that she is incredibly popular. She has great experience, and there’s going to be all sorts of speculation about her political future, and she’s the person who is going make that decision.”

The general belief is that if Clinton, the current secretary of state, runs for president in 2016, she would clear the Democratic presidential field — including making Cuomo’s chances bleak.

He hasn’t indicated whether he’s considering a White House, and instead has taken great pains to stay clear of presidential speculation. He’s also close with the Clintons. They all live in Westchester, and Clinton views Bill Clinton as his mentor, having served as Clinton’s HUD secretary.

Cuomo tried to joke about the presidential speculation, saying who knows who could run.

“We’d have to assess all the candidates,” said Cuomo, who is first expected to seek re-election in 2014.